Enhancement of the Antigenotoxic and Antioxidant Actions of Eugenol from Spice Clove and the Stabilizer Gum Arabic on Colorectal Carcinogenesis

Abstract

Spices are defined as any aromatic condiment of plant origin used to alter the flavor and aroma of foods. Besides flavor and aroma, many spices have antioxidant activity, mainly related to the presence in cloves of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids, terpenoids and eugenol. In turn, the most common uses of gum arabic are in the form of powder for addition to soft drink syrups, cuisine and baked goods, specifically to stabilize the texture of products, increase the viscosity of liquids and promote the leavening of baked products (e.g., cakes). Both eugenol, extracted from cloves, and gum arabic, extracted from the hardened sap of two species of the Acacia tree, are dietary constituents routinely consumed virtually throughout the world. Both of them are also widely used medicinally to inhibit oxidative stress and genotoxicity. The prevention arm of the study included groups: Ia,